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Kuhnian Lessons for the Study of Open-Ended Evolution
1Reed College Department of Philosophy. mab@reed.edu.
Artificial Life
|March 25, 2024
Summary
To accelerate progress in open-ended evolution (OEE) science, the community needs to establish clear scientific exemplars. This involves adopting hallmarks of "normal science" and agreeing on successful OEE research examples.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Evolutionary Biology
- Complex Systems
Background:
- Kuhnian philosophy of science highlights the role of paradigms and exemplars in scientific progress.
- The field of open-ended evolution (OEE) currently lacks widely agreed-upon exemplars of scientific success.
- This absence potentially hinders the progression of OEE research, a field studying evolving complex systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how Kuhnian concepts of scientific paradigms and exemplars can benefit the study of open-ended evolution.
- To advocate for the adoption of characteristics of "normal science" within the OEE community.
- To propose concrete projects aimed at fostering consensus on successful OEE research.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis drawing on Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions".
- Review of the current state of open-ended evolution research.
- Proposal of specific, actionable projects for community consensus-building.
Main Results:
- Identifying the lack of agreed-upon exemplars as a potential bottleneck in OEE progress.
- Demonstrating the applicability of Kuhnian normal science principles to OEE.
- Outlining five distinct projects designed to cultivate consensus on OEE scientific successes.
Conclusions:
- Establishing scientific exemplars is crucial for accelerating progress in open-ended evolution.
- The OEE community would benefit from embracing the structure and practices of "normal science".
- The proposed projects offer a pathway toward achieving consensus and enhancing the productivity of OEE research.
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